Ticket to Freedom
by asPENaSYlum
Summary: She has always been attracted to this enigma who came to her life out of nowhere. After years of friendship with him, she still hasn’t unravelled the mysteries, or will she ever?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Typical day at school – The halls are full of students trying to get to their first class or at least finding where it is, reuniting with friends they missed over the break. She is no different from these students as she finds her own way to English 401 classroom, her last English subject on her last year of high school. She has been studying in this school since elementary and gained popularity and friends over the years. No drunk stories, jail records, speeding tickets or any driving violation, grades lower than B – the makings of the perfectly clean life.

"Hey Kagome! How was the vacation in Barcelona? We never got in touch during the break, I missed you so much!" Sango called from afar. Sango is sporting a straight brown hair with straight-cut bangs framing her face, with her trademark pink shimmering eye shadow outlining her brown eyes. Denim jeans partnered with striped gray and white tank top covering her shapely figure, one would never guess she's the heiress of the Taijiya chain of hotels. Her simplicity goes down deep inside her, making her friendship with Kagome an instant hit.

"Hey yourself!" joked Kagome. Kagome carries a green bag with a light green skirt stopping 2 inches before the knees and a V-cut three-fourths sleeves. In contrast to Sango, who is the athletic type of girl, Kagome is the feminine type who prefers sandals over rubber shoes, over backpacks, and wearing her hair-down over ponytails. Her black natural hair has soft layers that go on her mid-back.

"I missed you, too! Let's have a chat later, ok? I'll just attend to my class, you know, gotta keep the good record until graduation day…" Kagome quickly hugged Sango then rushed to her classroom.

"Yeah, our last year! Enjoy your class with Professor Ghoulie!" Sango snickered.

* * *

'Enjoy the class…Yeah, right, Sango. I haven't spent 20 minutes here and I might as well die out of boredom' Kagome's head propped in one hand thought. She surveyed the class and found out that nobody has been dandy in going to this class either. 'Somebody save this class…'

Heard by the heavens, a guy with shiny silver hair with cute dog ears at the top of his head, gorgeous amber eyes, strong jaw, an aristocratic nose, with his toned body donned in red button-down shirt with mouth-watering muscles underneath came in. Some of the girls have dropped their pens in appreciating the guy, some had glazed eyes, while some just had that stunned look like Kagome. 'My, my, I haven't seen a guy like that in school since…ever…' thought Kagome.

"Ahem, are you here for a class, Mister…" the professor Jaken, aka Ghoulie for his students, said, squinting his eyes to look over the new student.

"Inuyasha, sir." And said Inuyasha handed a piece of paper to his professor while the girls in class drooled more upon hearing his rich baritone voice.

"Mr. Inuyasha Takahashi, new transfer student, huh? Very well, sit down. I'm going to excuse you for your tardiness this first meeting as I understand how it must have been hard for you to find this class in this very big school of Tessaiga High," said the professor as he continued to drone on the topics that he would be discussing during the school year.

Luckily for Kagome, the only seat available is beside her and Inuyasha gets to be her seatmate for today. Eyeing him, she marvelled at how more attractive he is up-close. Sensing someone's eyes boring into him, Inuyasha looked to his right to find a girl looking at him. Ashamed for being caught, Kagome turned back her eyes to the professor, but not her attention. 'Things are finally looking up this year,' smirked Kagome.

* * *

"So how was vacation with your family? And your classes? And your suitor Hojo – " "Easy with the questions, Sango. We have lots of time together," Kagome interrupted her friend with a smile.

"Fine, fine. What's with you anyway? You're smiling…" Sango noticed the smile in Kagome's face ever since they separated before the first period.

"Is it that weird for me to smile?"

"Don't kid me, Higurashi. It's not the common glad-to-see-you-friend smile; it's something else. Like something exciting happened…Spill it!"

"Okay,okay, you got me. And yes, something exciting really happened. You see, during Jaken's speech of death-"

"What, he was dying!-"

"Oh, you know how his style in delivering lessons-"

"I know, right? So that was an idiom-"

"Yeah, Sango. So anyway, there was this guy who entered and my, was he a looker!"

"Kagome Higurashi impressed? Wow, that's new. You weren't even smitten by Hojo, one of the school cuties, and might I add, a very popular guy in town, and here you are complimenting some guy?-" And Sango just stopped talking right then and there when he saw a guy entering the cafeteria. Noticing her friend's distraction, Kagome followed Sango's eyesight and saw the topic of discussion.

"That's him! The guy in my English class!" hissed Kagome. Sango just managed to nod. Girls at the cafeteria swooned on their seats, the boys simply looked over, and the gays – well, the gays had similar reactions with the girls.

* * *

"Hey Higurashi, can't you clean that area a lil bit faster? Our customers don't need a slow lazy worker right now. So work with that cute ass faster, alright?" A good-looking guy with a little of his dark hair tied on the his nape joked. Miroku's the son of the owner of the "Coffee Isle" Shop and also a close friend of Kagome, who works in this shop for extra money.

"Whatever, boss," Kagome said. She's been working here since her old man died from a plane accident and her family lost their only source of family income. Her family's been tight on money after the unfaithful day, with their shrine, where she also lives, only the one left that supplies them with money. And with the less and less shrine visitors coming to offer some money, Kagome and her mother were forced to work to make both ends meet. Souta, her brother in elemtary, and jii-san, her grandfather who has a penchant for telling long historical stories (which they could never tell if fictitious or not) aren't much help. Kagome cannot live with free help from Sango and Miroku so she applied as a waitress at the "Coffee Isle" Shop. The coffee shop is a pleasant set that gives out a comfortable homey place to stay to its customers. With antique motif, lacquered seats with soft white seat cushions, and antique tables surrounded with white delicate net lace curtains adorning the big clear glass windows.

"Not you too, Kagome! I see you have fallen over Inu's charm like all the girls I know. I can't believe that guy has the nerve to come here to steal all my girl customers' attention from me!" Miroku said, while covering his face with a hand in exasperation.

"Inu? You mean, Inuyasha, right? How do you know him?" Kagome interrupted him from his monologue. She can't believe Miroku knows him while she and Sango have been dreaming about meeting up with good-looking guys their previous years in high school. He could have easily scheduled one of them to meet that god-like hunk.

"Hey, you!" Miroku called to Inuyasha, who turned after recognizing the voice. Miroku went towards Inuyasha in a fast pace.

'Oh no, this is bad. It looks like Miroku's going to punch Inuyasha out of jealousy with the attention Inuyasha's stealing from him. I have to do something!' Kagome panicked, scared of having a brawl between the two guys, his friend and his dream guy. She rushed to the scene only to find out that Miroku's supposed punch to the face turns out to be a crushing hug. 'What the-'

"Hey, man. How's it goin'?" Inuyasha greeted Miroku like they are very close friends.

"Same old, same old. Chicks diggin' me, they just can't help but to ask me to sire their children, " Miroku joked.

Inuyasha laughed. "You're definitely the same. So how's the business here? Still in a fine shape, I see. You have lots of customers here, just like before I left the town."

'He lived here before? How could I have missed someone like him?' Kagome pondered while watching the two interact.

"Man, I told you I have the makings of a businessman before! But hey, what's this I heard about you coming back only to study in Tessaiga High? I thought you were coming back to our school, Shikon High, now you're leaving me again, just like how you left me for America?" Miroku asked.

"Oyaji wanted me to have a different surrounding and no matter how much I argue with him, he's firm with his decision…"

"So he's still protecting you from that, huh?" Miroku said in a soft voice, Kagome almost didn't catch it. This piqued Kagome's attention and she wondered what Inuyasha's father is protecting him from. If he came from Shikon High, that means Inuyasha's family is rich as it is a renowned school for the elite. To protect Inuyasha's name of his family's must be such a big deal for Inuyasha to be sent out to America and transferred in another school. 'I wonder what he needs protecting from,' thought Kagome.

"Do you plan on making me stand here and chat with you or are you going to let me sit down and have my order? I came here for food after all…" Kagome broke from her thoughts when she heard Inuyasha's voice and saw Miroku lead him into a booth while talking on their way.

The striking guy who caught her eye is getting more and more interesting.

* * *

"How are my two lovely creatures fairing these days?" Miroku wooed Kagome and Sango, who have both been ignoring him for the past two hours. It's been a routine for these three friends to have lunch in a common sushi house once a week, talking about their lives and catching up with one another's and this time is no different. They have even befriended the employees and owner of the place.

"Aw, come on, are you still mad at me for not introducing Inuyasha to you guys? You can't be that love struck over him to break our friendship for this simple matter," Miroku moaned.

"How is it that we talk about each other here for more than 10 years and not once have you ever mentioned this so-called 'best bud' you have in your school, Miroku? It's not just because he's good-looking and we're sulking that we didn't get the chance to befriend him before-", Sango bitched out.

"But that's part of the reason," Miroku interrupted.

"Sort of. But that's not the MAIN reason, Miroku. We somehow feel that we don't know this certain part of you, who has been good 'buds' with Inuyasha for 8 years. So now we know you've been friends with him since 5th grade, the same time you've been hanging out with us. What other friends do you have to hide from us? The geek-type? Jocks? And since you're also a pervert, the perverted type?-Arrgh!" Sango bonked Miroku on the head as his wandering had reached her thigh.

"My dear Sango, you said I was perverted. I was merely trying to act what you're accusing me of…" Miroku said with fingers checking how much damage the fiery girl gave him this time.

"Accusing, my ass," snorted Sango.

"Yes, your fine ass…," Miroku said with an appreciative look at Sango's form as he was once again banged on the head.

"Miroku, as your friends, we're willing to do our customary 'forgive and forget'," Kagome joined the conversation.

"Okaaay, Kagome. What's the catch?" Miroku knew better than to expect to be forgiven without any consequences. In the past years they've been friends, he would only be forgiven when he surrenders to the consequences. One time, he was forced to clean the whole shrine after they caught him sniffing on Kagome's underwear closet on their overnight bonding session. It took him one whole day to finish the clean-up and one whole week to recover his sore muscles from overworking.

"Tell us the deal with Inuyasha. What's his father protecting him from?" Kagome asked.

"My, my, that's a pretty personal question you're asking, my friend. I'm afraid you'll have to ask him that," Miroku said and added with an afterthought, "I'm sure you can befriend him easily."

"Easily? The way you sounded there, it looks like Kagome's gonna get special treatment from Inuyasha," Sango said to Miroku, while he asked Tom, a waiter, to give them extra soda.

"What, why me?" inquired Kagome, who suddenly got excited thinking that Inuyasha also found her interesting.

"That's for me to know and you to find out, Kagome," teased Miroku.

"Miroku, come on!" Kagome and Sango tried to convince him.

"Na-uh. Thanks, Tom." Miroku turned to the waiter and hurriedly took the drink and stood up to leave. "Gotta go, my fair ladies. See yah later!" Kagome and Sango grabbed on to both of his arms to stop him from leaving and effectively trapping him. Seeing the blazing fire within his friends' eyes, he decided to concede. With a serious face, he said softly, "It all started on the middle of July, there was a heavy storm coming to Shikon High and the surroundings were starting to get cold and dark as night. The wind was strong, but I'm afraid we haven't felt the full wrath of nature-Ow, Sango! What was that for?" exclaimed Miroku as Sango kicked his shins.

"Stop with the dramatics, will you! Get to the point," Sango pointed out.

Miroku sighed for the last opportunity of escaping the topic and continued the story, "Inuyasha had this girl friend for 4 years and though he was popular those days as you say he is in your school, he had a stable relationship with her. Really loyal to the girl, it was obvious how serious and in love Inuyasha was to this girl and everybody knew about it. That girl, Kikyou, looked exactly like you, Kagome, you could easily pass as her twin. Except that she had this different air about her-elegant, modest, intellectual-she was liked and envied by girls at the same time. The two of them were popular in school and being cherished by Inuyasha, I doubt he's gonna miss your resemblance to him," Miroku said.

"So if I try to befriend Inuyasha, do you think he'll take me with animosity or not? You said she used to be Inuyasha's girlfriend after all," Kagome asked.

"I didn't have any contact with Inuyasha for three years since his dad made him go to America so I don't have a clue to what happened in their relationship. They might have broken up or they might still be together, I don't know," Miroku honestly confessed.

"And that leads to the question why Inuyasha was sent to America..," Sango looked at Miroku for support while he shook his head with an it's-not-my-business-to-tell look.

While her two friends are arguing about Inuyasha's story, Kagome thought, 'I wonder what happened to Kikyou and Inuyasha.'

* * *

"It's rude to stare at people like that. What's your problem?"

Kagome maintained the far-away gaze at Inuyasha, who is now wearing an appealing white muscle shirt and cargo pants, sitting just beside her. After a minute or two of staring at each other, Kagome snapped out of it and realized at what she was doing and whom Inuyasha is looking at. Blushing widly, Kagome averted her eyes, and focused back on the whiteboard. With an eerie feeling of being watched, she glanced at Inuyasha, who was still looking at her. She managed a brief "What?" before looking at the front again, which doesn't have a certain ghoul in it yet.

"You were staring at me like I'm a star from your starry night window view, and I just asked what your problem is," Inuyasha narrated what she had been doing and what he was asking. Not wanting him to know that she was thinking about his past or present relationship with Kikyou, Kagome merely looked at the opposite direction to halt the conversation.

"Just as I thought, you are one weird girl," Inuyasha muttered and thought she wouldn't hear it. But she did and was greatly insulted by the comment.

"Excuse me? I'm sorry if I got caught up thinking over some things, which are completely _insignificant_ and _trivial_ to me, but I'm not going to allow you to ridicule me when you are just new here in this school." She was so surprised on hearing him calling him a weirdo. She knew she overreacted but hearing the comment coming from him bothered her greatly, causing her to burst out. She turned her face in the opposite direction afterwards.

As if she didn't voice her obvious feeling of offence, Inuyasha didn't say anything and simply looked at her.

For the rest of the period, she strained to focus on listening and absorbing what professor Jaken was teaching, but all she managed to catch is "The Raven is one of the most interesting works of Edgar Allan Poe" and that wasn't even a tenth of his lecture. Inuyasha is an immense mystery to her. After two months of being his seatmate in English, she noticed that he never changed his expression; no droopy eyes even on the deadliest topic in discussion – Inferno by Dante Alighieri, no yawning, no big surprised eyes when the professor talked about the classic tragedies in Mythology. He even has the slightest change of posture during class; he doesn't slide down to his seat when the professor is trying to call students for recitation. He doesn't change his tone of voice and manage to keep it calm and collected, even when talking to the professor or to her girl classmates, who are all his admirers. Now that he thought about it, he doesn't seem to have any emotion at all. 'I wonder how he is with Kikyou, I bet Kikyou dumped him for being so boring,' sneaking a glance at Inuyasha to prove her thoughts, Kagome added, 'Unless, she just loves to stare at him. That way, you'll never get bored on marveling his full lips, straight nose, manly jaw, piercing eyes, great hair – arggh! Who am I kidding, he's an enigma! She's definitely head over heels in love with this guy.'

"Higurashi! Higurashi!" Crashing to reality, Kagome was surprised on being called by the professor and instinctively stood up straight and answered, "Yes, sir. I do!" in response to the usual question of the insufferable toad-looking monster of "Do you agree with me?" The class who was half-asleep regained their strength in laughing at Kagome's answer to the question "Who authored The Raven?" Inuyasha restrained himself to roll his eyes at the absent-minded girl.

"Splendid, you authored The Raven. If you're claiming others' work as your own, maybe you wouldn't mind taking the janitor's work as your own too, ne Higurashi? Detention after class, Higurashi!" Professor Jaken was spitting bits of saliva, and Kagome couldn't remember anything more repulsive than how he looks right this moment.

* * *

Down to her knees, moaning and sweating — that was how Sango found Kagome while cleaning the stock room. "Oh! I can't believe I would have a bad record after keeping it straight all my life!" Kagome said for the hundredth time. "Ever since that Inuyasha came here, he made my mind suffer a great deal. I keep on wondering what the deal with him is, I get all mushy when his skin briefly touches mine when he passes me by in the classroom – I hate it! I hate him!"

"Stop complaining, Kagome. You've done your detention already, forget about what happened and move on, or at least try while you haven't figured out Inuyasha's 'deal' is, okay?" Sango pacified her friend.

* * *

"Party the night away, people!"

_Chorus:  
Shawty had them Apple Bottom Jeans Jeans  
Boots with the fur With the fur  
The whole club was lookin at her  
She hit the flo She hit the flo  
Next thing you know  
Shawty got low low low low low low low low_

Them baggy sweat pants  
And the Reeboks with the straps With the straps  
She turned around and gave that big booty a smack Ayy  
She hit the flo She hit the flo  
Next thing you know  
Shawty got low low low low low low low low

Verse 1:  
I ain't never seen nuthin that'll make me go,  
This crazy all night spendin my dough  
Had a million dollar vibe and a bottle to go  


_Dem birthday cakes, they stole the show  
So sexual, she was flexible  
Professional, drinkin X and ooo  
Hold up wait a minute, do I see what I think I  
Whoa  
Did I think I seen shorty get low  
Ain't the same when it's up that close  
Make it rain, I'm makin it snow  
Work the pole, I got the bank roll  
Imma say that I prefer them no clothes  
I'm into that, I love women exposed  
She threw it back at me, I gave her more  
Cash ain't a problem, I know where it goes_

She had them

People were grooving to the music at the dance floor, some were flirting on the bar, some were eyeing prospects for a new partner while some were already down to business in dark corners with their partners. Students were partying harder than usual as they knew that this is their very last year in high school. Such is the line of thought of Kagome as her eyes scurried the area for a certain silver-haired newbie. 'I'm sure he got the invitation from Miroku for this party, so where is he? Come to think of it, it's hard to imagine him dancing with these people. The moron knows a little of emotion and posture anyway, which basically ranges from flat affect to _slightly_ bored and straight body to _slightly _slumped posture, respectively.'

Five months had passed after she met Inuyasha and she hasn't gone any closer to befriending him.

_Chorus:  
Apple Bottom Jeans Jeans  
Boots with the fur With the fur  
The whole club was lookin at her  
She hit the flo She hit the flo  
Next thing you know  
Shawty got low low low low low low low low_

Them baggy sweat pants  
And the Reeboks with the straps With the straps  
She turned around and gave that big booty a smack  
Ayy  
She hit the flo She hit the flo  
Next thing you know  
Shawty got low low low low low low low low

Verse 2:  


_Hey  
Shawty what I gotta do to get you home  
My jeans full of gwap  
And they ready for Shones  
Cadillacs Maybachs for the sexy grown  
Patrone on the rocks that'll make you moan_

One stack (come on)  
Two stacks (come on)  
Three stacks (come on, now that's three grand)  
Low lyrics found on  
What you think I'm playin baby girl  
I'm the man, I'll bend the rubber bands

That's what I told her, her legs on my shoulder  
I knew it was ova, that Henny and Cola  
Got me like a Soldier  
She ready for Rover, I couldn't control her  
So lucky oo me, I was just like a clover  
Shorty was hot like a toaster  
Sorry but I had to fold her,  
Like a pornography poster  
She showed her

With no Sango and no Miroku, she doesn't have much company around. Granted, she's on friendly terms with her classmates and to a few who regularly goes to after-exam parties like these, but they don't give quality conversation with her, which she has been craving for since she stepped on this bar. The bar, Umeki, a well-known bar for students like her, was familiar to Kagome. She knew her way around the place as she had been partying here since freshmen days, courtesy of Miroku's invites who knows the owner of the place. Surrounding the dance floor are booths, with soft sofa set. On one side is a bar housing different drinks, alcohol and non-alcohol alike, and on one corner is a stairway, which has a mysterious look at it as it's floor is lighted with blue light and the wallpaper is all black with red drapes surrounding it. These cloths move every now and then, either from the blast of strong bass and music or from couples who can't wait to get to the rooms and do as their lust calls for. Upstairs are VIP rooms, where you have the comfy seats and plush artwork of an artist. With large one-way windows on it, people inside can easily watch the ground floor of the club while remaining unseen from the people below.

'And since I don't have a partner right now, I might as well enjoy quality time with myself upstairs.' She grabbed some gin from the barista and made a beeline to one of the VIP rooms, where she was allowed to pass thanks to Miroku's generosity of giving her a VIP card.

She welcomed herself inside and took a seat on one of the posh seat, watching how Sango and Miroku danced the night away. She muttered to herself, "It's obvious they have feelings for each other. They just don't want to tell me, thinking I'll be left alone with no partner. I'm okay with life as it is. I have no boyfriend, fine. I don't want anybody taking care of me. I don't have reckless records or what they call 'adventures', fine. I prefer a safe comfortable life. I haven't loved before, fine. I can live without showering someone with all my attention and distracting me from my everyday life."

"You really think that way, huh?"

Kagome froze and turned around, only to find someone within the shadows. He was sitting on the floor with one leg bent and the other laid out straight on the floor. 'It's amazing how he can manage to strike a pose anywhere…' Kagome thought out of nowhere.

When she got used to it, she managed to feel calm and used to not answering his questions, which she has no answer to. She drank his alcoholic drink as if nothing had happened and continued to watch her friends on the dance area.

"Miroku told me you wanted to know what crap I dealt with and I was not that surprised to know that you actually asked my best friend such a personal question, Higurashi," smirked Inuyasha. "After all, from the first moment I saw you, I knew you were going to be a pain in the ass."

Kagome widened her eyes at the language he's using. Scratch that, she's shock Inuyasha has managed to speak to her in more than 10 words straight. She laughed really hard at the thought.

"Did I miss a joke?" Inuyasha raised one of his nicely-shaped eyebrows.

After Kagome has stopped her laughing fit, she managed to say, "You're not retarded after all! Here I was thinking with your looks come little brains and attitude. I always see you talking briefly and here I thought you were too stupid to string words together!" Kagome burst out laughing at the stupidity of it.

"Ha ha. Very witty. Laugh it up, bozo," Inuyasha rolled his eyes, not believing his talking to a fool.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. It looks like I offended you in some way. You act so high and mighty, I think nobody has stood up before you, am I right? You think because you have the godly features physically, you can just demand people to be nice to you. Right? And since everybody admires you for being so good at sports, of course you are since you are a hanyou, which all seem to be forgetting, you are used to girls worshipping you. Right?" The alcohol was definitely kicking in Kagome's system now. Inuyasha seemed to be swallowed in darkness as his features darken. Kagome immediately noticed the different reaction with him. But when she was about to say sorry, Inuyasha cut it out.

"You're wrong. Not everyone likes me as you think, Higurashi. And Kikyou hasn't worshipped me at all, I did the ass-kissing all the time," with an frowning face, he seem to forget that he was with Kagome in the room, as if he was reminiscing his old forgotten days.

After a moment, he broke from his trance and went out of the room, leaving Kagome to ponder on what he revealed.

_Chorus:  
Apple Bottom Jeans Jeans  
Boots with the fur With the fur  
The whole club was lookin at her  
She hit the flo She hit the flo  
Next thing you know  
Shawty got low low low low low low low low_

Them baggy sweat pants  
And the Reeboks with the straps With the straps  
She turned around and gave that big booty a smack Ayy  
She hit the flo She hit the flo  
Next thing you know  
Shawty got low low low low low low low low

Verse 3:  
Whoa  
Shawty  
Yea she was worth the money  
Lil mama took my cash,  
And I ain't want it back,  
The way she bit that rag,  
Got her them paper stacks,  
Tattoo Above her crack,  
I had to handle that,

I was on it, sexy woman, let me shownin  
They be want it two in the mornin  
I'm zonin in them rosay bottles foamin  
She wouldn't stop, made it drop  
Shorty did that pop and lock,  
Had to break her off that gwap  
Gah it was fly just like my glock

Chorus:  
Apple Bottom Jeans Jeans  
Boots with the fur With the fur  


_The whole club was lookin at her  
She hit the flo She hit the flo  
Next thing you know  
Shawty got low low low low low low low low_

Them baggy sweat pants  
And the Reeboks with the straps With the straps  
She turned around and gave that big booty a smack Ayy  
She hit the flo She hit the flo  
Next thing you know  
Shawty got low low low low low low low low

C'mon

She went to the dance floor and looked for any sign of Inuyasha. She has digged out into the closet and found a part of the skeleton, managed to get a hint of this enigma and she's not going to waste the opportunity. 'It looked like I pained him at what I said and I want to help him…It's not a big deal, it's just for my conscience. I don't want others to be hurting because of my alcohol-soaked mind and big mouth,' Kagome thought as she went from corner to corner of the bar to find the dog-eared lad.

Half an hour of searching and she wasn't able to locate Inuyasha. Out of frustration, she went out of the bar to get fresh air. When you have finally decided to stop searching for it, that blasted thing would show up to your face as if you haven't stressed over finding it.

And there was Inuyasha, sitting on a bench on the corner, his silver tresses complementing the starry night.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

She sat beside Inuyasha on the metallic seat and observed him. He still looked magnificent even when he looks bothered. His hair is flowing with the wind, the soft silvery locks calling out to her fingers to be stroked. And the amber eyes were piercing than ever, contrasted by the darkness of the night.

A soft "Hey" disturbed Inuyasha from his thoughts and he found Kagome sitting close beside him, a small smile on her lips. "I'm sorry about earlier, I have no right to say those things to you. If I'm your friend, things would have been different and voicing my opinions about you would be acceptable…But we're not, so, it was wrong for me to do that," Kagome said incessantly. "I might have hurt your feelings or at least I think because you made a different facial expression other than your usual poker-face...That was a bit harsh, let me correct that. Er, since you became my classmate, I noticed that you always have this same expression on your face. Like this," and Kagome tried to imitate Inuyasha's neutral expression and added, "but earlier your face was like this," as she tried to imitate the frown that Inuyasha was wearing on their conversation in the room. Inuyasha just watched her, fascinated that she was able to talk so fast and surprised that she had been keeping tabs on how he was like every day. "And so I think you were perturbed by what I have been saying. And now I'm rattling on like an idiot," Kagome said rapidly without stopping and mentioned the last thoughts slowly upon realization.

Noticing that her tirade has subsided, he went back on staring at something far ahead, in thought. Thinking she pissed him off with her 'little' chat, she sighed dejectedly and made a move to stand up when she heard Inuyasha say, "Stay for a while, it's lonely alone here…"

One word and he gets Kagome to settle down with him.

"Why didn't you grab the oppo

* * *

rtunity then, Kagome? I thought you are one fan of the Carpi Diem motto, and what the heck did you do with him there? Sit down and had a staring match with the sky?" Sango had pestered her friend the whole lunch time they have been together. The cafeteria was noisy as usual with students passing every now and then, trying to find tables where they could eat. Kagome slowly ate her hash brown after dipping it into ketchup.

"Weren't you listening to what I was saying? I said he looked upset already. I don't think he even considers me as a friend yet so I don't know how he'll react to my prying. I don't know about you, but I don't like to be at the receiving end of Inuyasha's wrath," Kagome infuriately said.

"Now that you mention it, I wonder how he gets angry… You think he still looks sexy when frustrated?" Sango teased Kagome and added, "Isn't that something to add on your list of 'Getting to know Inuyasha'?"

"That would come later when I've successfully turned him as a friend," Kagome said as she wondered the progress of her 'relationship' with Inuyasha. Last night at the party, she somehow felt contented sitting with Inuyasha beside her. No words were exchanged after he asked, rather ordered, Kagome to stay with him but the silence was at ease between them. Oftentimes, she was tempted to ask him about his relationship with Kikyou; not because she was jealous but because she was curious on how he chose a girlfriend and kept a steady relationship with her, as Miroku had said. Then, there was the question about him being sent to America by his dad. What was his dad protecting him from? Does his family have adversaries or did he make some at school? After all, being popular has it drawbacks — being envied and criticized by people are one of the many. Is he still a reserved person around people close to him or is he different?

'I'm truly interested in you, Inuyasha…'

* * *

_Thump, thump, thump_

Kagome's pencil was thumping on her table while she has been thinking of what to write in her reaction paper on the The Raven. Something, or someone, was always diverting her attention during English class and she wasn't able to understand the Raven's story at all. 'This is not like you at all, Kagome Higurashi. Getting sidetracked by a guy, racking your brains for a reaction paper, which you could have normally done in 15 minutes…Stupid Kagome, stupid Kagome, stupid Kagome…' she chanted. A long tanned finger stopped her pencil on bumping the table and she followed the body of whose hand stopped it. A black Adidas shirt fitting his well-toned muscles, a smooth neck, amber eyes, oh no…Not her _distraction_ again.

And just as she was about to ask him what he is doing, Inuyasha said coolly, "The speaker, a man who pines for his deceased love, Lenore, has been visited by a talking bird who knows only the word: 'Nevermore.' The narrator feels so grieved over the loss of his love that he allows his imagination to transform the bird into a prophet bringing news that the lovers will 'Nevermore' be reunited, not even in heaven. Poe describes the poem as one that reveals the human penchant for 'self-torture' as evidenced by the speaker's tendency to weigh himself down with grief."

Kagome's mouth was slightly open from shock. Did he just summarize 'The Raven' for her? "The deadline's in 15 minutes, I suggest you write your reaction and pass it to Prof. Jaken before that time comes. Ja," Inuyasha waved his hand, showing his back to Kagome while he was walking down the aisle to submit his paper to the professor at front. Kagome was astonished at what happened and followed Inuyasha with her eyes until he went out of the room. 'Yosh! Kagome, he just helped you out! You can do this in less than 15 minutes!' she cheered for herself.

After 10 minutes, she passed her one whole paper of reaction paper to the professor and went out of the room, invigorated.

* * *

Kagome was running an errand for her mother in the grocery store when big drops of rain started to pour out. "Fantastic. The one time I don't bring my umbrella, it actually rains…" Kagome muttered bitterly. Clutching the grocery bags on one hand, she rushed to the next shelter to shield herself from the onslaught of the downpour. She wasn't halfway to her house and she was already dripping wet. Busy squeezing her hair of water, she didn't notice a person sharing an umbrella with her. "It's going to rain all night, I might as well give you a ride home," a familiar baritone said. Looking up to the owner of the voice, she noticed Inuyasha beside her, carrying a black umbrella. 'Can he get any more dazzling in the rain?' Kagome thought in the back of her mind. When she came back to her senses, she saw Inuyasha going inside the driver's seat in his black Ford auto, folding back the umbrella and started the engine. He flashed her with the vehicle's high beam, making Kagome instinctively cover her eyes with her arm. Getting the hint, she ran to the passenger seat, made herself comfortable and with a grateful smile, said "Higurashi Shrine please, two blocks from here. Thanks a lot, Inuyasha."

"No prob…" and he went towards the direction.

"Arigatou. Please let me repay you. Come inside our house to eat snack," looking at her watch, she noticed it was past eight, and added sheepishly, "How about dinner?"

c:

"Mom, Souta, Grandpa, I'm back!" Kagome greeted upon opening the door. She changed her shoes into slippers and Inuyasha did the same except he was wearing guest slippers.

"Kagome! Are you alright? I got worried when the rain began; you didn't bring your umbrella. Change into dry clothes now or you'll get a cold…" Mrs. Higurashi stopped her motherly talk when she saw her daughter come out from the hallway with a good-looking guest. "Why, hello. Thanks for helping my Kagome get out from the rain. Are you one of her friends?"

"Yes, I'm Inuyasha. Pleased to meet you" and he offered a small smile. To say that she was a little surprised at acknowledging himself as her friend was an understatement. She didn't know what to say to that or if she ever has to say something to that. "Dinner will be ready soon, come join us, Inuyasha. I'm preparing obento, Kagome's favorite," Mrs. Higurashi called out after retreating into the kitchen but not before giving a knowing smile to her daughter.

Kagome left Inuyasha with Souta, who was playing his PSP on the living room to get into dry clothes. She emerged later with a comfortable big clothes, which she usually wears at home. Inuyasha was amazed at how small and comfortable Kagome appears now, dressing up for her own comfort instead of impressing Inuyasha. She looked at Inuyasha to see him looking at her with a different expression in his eyes but simple shrugged off the thought when she heard her stomach complain of hunger. Awkward at being heard by Inuyasha, she guided him to the dining room to eat supper.

The Higurashi family, Inuyasha found out, was warm and hospitable at heart. It felt natural for him to eat and laugh with them, especially over Souta's antics on pestering Kagome by telling her embarrassing moments.

"And Kagome, not remembering where she left Mom's graduation gift for her, turned the house upside-down in search of it. When she couldn't find it, she worked a sideline job for Miroku to buy the gift she lost and replace it. I think she actually spent a month working her ass off for that, ne nee-chan? Only to find out that Mom borrowed the gift and was wearing it all those time. Kagome actually cried after that." Everyone burst into laughter except Kagome, who was so embarrassed by her idiocy.

"So tell us about you, stranger. Where in the seven hells did you come from to bless us with your presence tonight, youkai?" Grandpa said, remembering his ill feeling toward Inuyasha. "Grandpa!" Kagome and her mother warned the old man for his lack of tact.

"I actually live near the grocery store and to pass time, I drove around the premises and saw Kagome sheltered in one of the closed shops," Inuyasha replied.

"And from what family did you hail?" Grandpa further questioned.

"The Takahashi, my dad's Inutaisho and-"

"Inutaisho?! The great powerful youkai, the current business tycoon?" Souta excitedly asked Inuyasha.

"Where did you learn that, Souta?" Kagome asked.

"Grandpa rants about the Inutaisho every now and then, Kagome!" Souta looked at his grandpa for confirmation.

"Hai," the curt reply of Inuyasha.

"You must introduce me to your dad sometime, Inuyasha! I heard he's real cool! Can I? Can I?" Souta pleaded with his hands together in front of him with doggy eyes.

"Souta, that's too much to ask!" Kagome cut out her brother's antics and Souta's smile turned into a pout. "But, Kagome…."he added.

"It's okay, Kagome. My friends are always welcome to our home," Inuyasha placated the siblings. Kagome, at a loss for words, just smiled gratefully to him. 'He really counts me as a friend now…' Kagome happily thought.

c:

"It was really fun dining with your family, Kagome. Thanks again," Inuyasha told Kagome and went on trekking the long stairs to his automobile.

Inuyasha midway down the stairs, Kagome shouted, "Did you really mean what you said earlier? Are we friends now?" Inuyasha slowed down in his steps and turned, "Yeah. Is something wrong with that?" Kagome just shook her head and muttered into the air, "I'd actually like that…" and it carried into Inuyasha's sensitive hearing. He nodded and proceeded going down the stairs.

Widening her eyes in realization, she thought, 'He called me Kagome twice today…'

* * *

When Inuyasha said he'll introduce Souta and Kagome to his dad, he meant it, and the siblings were really enthusiastic at meeting up with one of the most successful man in the town. Inutaisho was a good father figure, something they've been missing after their dad's depart from this world. After an hour or so spent at the Takahashi Manor, the two went back to the shrine to tell the rest of the family on how welcoming Inutaisho was. And from then on, Kagome and Inuyasha grew closer as friends.

Kagome happily chats with Inuyasha in the cafeteria at lunch. "I can't believe that girl did that to poor Miroku!"

"Poor? He groped on the waitress and she was wearing a short skirt then, it was the idiot's fault in the first place," Inuyasha defended his friend's victim.

"But to break his nose with a single punch? What an Amazonian!"

It had been months since dinner with Inutaisho and Kagome and Inuyasha have been taking lunch in the cafeteria together with Sango. Other times, Sango's schedule is busy with her student council meetings and only the two are left to eat. Anything under the sun was discussed and the two got closer in time.

* * *

"What are you going to do after high school, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked and looked upwards where Inuyasha was sitting on a thick branch of the Goshinboku tree, the largest tree on the Shrine. Plans after graduation have always been a part of conversation between friends. Somehow, one would confess all his ambitions and aims in life to a friend and whatever happens, whether the goal has been reached or not, that friend will know and sympathize or rejoice with that person. As friends, you would know each others' deepest desires or greatest aspiration and keep an unspoken agreement to support each other.

"I have to follow my brother's footsteps and work in our company. It's the family's legacy after all," Inuyasha answered as if someone just asked his name, in other words, automatically.

"What about _your_ plans? Don't you have plans as an individual, uninfluenced by your family?"

"I don't think about that. It's not like I have a say anyway. After all my family has given to me - their name, reputation, money – working for them is the least that you can do for them-"

"That's sad. Letting them decide for your life course is the biggest thing you can offer to them. It's your life and no one else should fix on how you would live it but you."

Inuyasha just shrugged. He was used to the idea of being an employee of the Takahashi Corp. that his mind just stops wondering about 'what ifs'. Interested on what his friend plans, he asked her the same question.

"I want to study medicine after graduation though I'm telling you now that that role is just a super dream for me," Kagome said looking at a distance.

"Why is it 'super'?

Kagome looked at him honestly, "We cannot afford to have that kind of education. You know very well that only my mom and I are the ones working and the income is just enough for our expenditures."

"Somehow, hearing you give up on your dreams strikes me as unbelievable. You just implied how we should decide for our own lives, to live our dreams and not just abandon them because of our circumstance."

"To open the eyes of other people, sometimes you just have to act as broomsticks, cleaning the area when you yourself are not clean. In our case, coaching people the right way to act, even you yourself cannot do it. How do you think the priests live, Inuyasha? Every so often, they turn out to be the number one violators of their own sermons," Kagome said softly. Silence was kept between the friends. Dozing off, she was scooped up by Inuyasha and carried to the branch he left. He laid Kagome's head on his shoulder and supported her body with his, knowing she's fond of sleeping on the branch. Gazing at her sleeping face, he tucked hair strands behind her ears and whispered, 'I don't want you to be a broomstick, Kagome.'

c:

She popped one eye open, followed by the other. Seeing the pink ceiling with stick-on glow-in-the-dark stars, she recognized that she was in her room. Going down the stairs, she learned that Inuyasha had carried her from the Goshinboku tree from her mom. "Inuyasha is the sweetest boy, dear. He had that loving look when he had put you into bed," her mother winked at her and she blushed madly. "It's _caring_, mom. Not loving," she corrected her mother though her heart was beating rapidly from what her mom told her.

After her mom's disturbing comment, Kagome had been more perceptive on how Inuyasha would act towards her. A little silence from Kagome, and he would ask if anything's bothering her; a word from Kagome to come over dinner, and he would go without questions; she would catch him looking at her intently from time to time; and he would tuck her hair at the back of her ear whenever they have their heart-to-heart moments.

One night, after dinner with his family, Inuyasha and Kagome were lounging at his bedroom, watching "While You Were Sleeping". Inuyasha contentedly leans on the headboard with his legs straight on the bed, Kagome's head slanted to his shoulder. The film they're watching isn't really Inuyasha's line of movies but Kagome swayed his solid decision by threatening to_ slip_ telling the whole school about his loud snoring, backed up by her cellphone record. Habitually hanging up after school and watching DVD's, Inuyasha eventually fall asleep and Kagome would record his obnoxious snores. Sango and Miroku also hang out with them, but more often than not, they say they're busy doing 'something'. Not only does Kagome feel comfortable with Inuyasha now; she also feels something else for him — something she doesn't want to face yet. All she knows is that she's satisfied on how everything is going. She's slowly getting to know Inuyasha and their friendship is getting deeper than before. 'And if I'm lucky, this could lead to something more,' Kagome blushed, surprised at what came to her mind. She expected friendship with Inuyasha, she expected to slowly know what lies beneath his cool exterior, but what she didn't expect is reality to face her.

"Inuyasha," a soft feminine voice drifting from Inuyasha's bedroom doorway called.

Turning at the direction of her voice, "Kikyou…" a stunned Inuyasha whispered.

And it was all it took to wash Kagome's dreams down the drain.


End file.
